Steam for Linux will launch in 2012

Back in April it Michael Larabel who runs the Linux website Phoronix visited Valve’s offices and confirmed that a Linux version of Steam is in development. He also stated that Gabe Newell is now leading the project that has long been rumored and in development for years.

Launching Steam for Linux can’t be done without some games being available, and so alongside the client port Valve is also ensuring its own games will run on the OS. The first of these looks likely to be Left 4 Dead 2, with Half-Life and Portal hopefully next on the list.

The one thing we didn’t know, as is typical with all Valve releases, is when exactly we can expect to be downloading and using Steam on Linux. Today that changed.

A Phoronix reader by the name of Joe Davison decided to e-mail Gabe Newel and ask him if the Linux version of the Steam client would be made public before the end of 2012. In a very Steve Jobs’ like response, Gabe simply said “Yes.”

That means at some point in the next 7 months anyone running Linux will be able to download Steam and start playing a number of games, including at least one Valve title. After that the emphasis will be on game developers to start porting their Steam games over to Linux.

Steam becoming available for Linux is quite significant for the future of gaming on the OS. Steam holds a lot of sway with developers and publishers, and they will be more inclined to support Linux as a platform if they intend to launch a game through Steam. So this is great news for any gamers who don’t run a machine on Windows or Mac.